Poster Christmas sousaphones
Band members from the University of Minnesota brought their sousaphones over from Minneapolis to play Tuba Christmas at Central Presbyterian in St. Paul. About 120 low brass players turned up for an hour long concert of carols and holiday music.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson
Performance Today®

'Tis the season of TubaChristmas

Scott Wilkinson is a professional tuba player. He says that people often joke about the tuba...but not in December. 'Tis the season of TubaChristmas! On this weekend's Performance Today, Wilkinson will tell us about TubaChristmas, and we'll hear highlights from one of this year's concerts.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

William Beckstrand: Winter Solstice Carol
National Lutheran Choir; David Cherwien, conductor (choir); Bill Mathis, conductor (handbells)
Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, MN

Arnold Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4
Erin Keefe, violin; Stephen Rose, violin; Phillip Ying, viola; Virginia Barron, viola; David Ying, cello; Bion Tsang, cello
The Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Packard Hall, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO

Samuel Barber: Sure on this shining night, Op. 13
Conspirare; Craig Hella Johnson, conductor
Samuel Barber: An American Romantic
Harmonia Mundi 807522

Traditional (arr. Joey Hoelscher): Still, Still, Still
Brigham Young University Singers; Ronald Staheli, conductor
de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, Provo, UT

Traditional (arr. Jon Hansen): O Little Town of Bethlehem
USC Bass Tuba Quartet: Brandon Davis, Charlie Mann, Kyle Richter, James Similuk

Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith (arr. Joey Sellers): Winter Wonderland
The Hollywood Tuba 12: Bill Booth; Alex Iles; Alan Kaplan; Loren Marsteller; Bill Reichenbach; Don Sawday, euphonium; Blake Cooper; Gary Hickman; Steve Klein; Beth Mitchell; Norm Pearson; Doug Tornqui
Hall of Liberty, Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, CA

Hour 2

Peter Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty: Waltz
Boston Symphony Orchestra; Seiji Ozawa, conductor
DG 445775

Gabriel Faure: Ave Maria
Joshua Bell, violin
Musical Gifts from Joshua Bell and Friends
Sony 374318

Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto C Major, RV 443 for recorder and strings: 1. Allegro
Kremerata Baltica; Michala Petri, recorder
Tivoli Garden Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark

Peter Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: Movements 3,4, 6, 10, 11, 12, 15
Berlin Philharmonic; Simon Rattle, conductor
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
EMI 46385

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American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

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